Peat-machine.



PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

T. H. LBAVITT.

PEAT MACHINE.

APPLICATIOK FILED mum, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a 07 mm W 2. m 5W l 17 @wmV H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PEAT-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

4 Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application filed March 7, 1904:. Serial No. 196,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. LEAVITT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Peat-Machines, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to a novel machine for treating peat and moldingit into blocks for fuel.

As is well known, crude peat as it comes from the peat-bog has a more orless cellular structure, the cells of which are filled with water andair. If allowed to dry in the con dition in which it is cut from thebog, it will frequently be found to be so friable that it can withdifficulty be handled. To overcome this objection and to solidify thepeat, it has been attempted to subject the same to pres sure; but it hasbeen found that the application of pressure to the peat in its crude ornatural condition as'taken from the bog seals the cells of the peatstill more closely and only results in compressing the air thereinwithout expressing more than a small percentage of the water therefrom.

I have discovered that the proper way to treat crude peat is, first, tobreak up and destroy the cellular structure of the material, then toeject the air from it and incidentally some of the water, and developits plastic and adhesive properties, which in its natural state arepractically dormant. After these operations it is in condition to bemolded into blocks of any desired form and size, which may be dried inany suitable way either in the open air or by artificial means. Theproduct resulting from this treatment is a hard solid fuel, which hasstructural characteristics entirely different from the crude peat in itsnatural state as cut or excavated from the bog, which shows when brokena mineral-like structure, and which can never be dissolved and reducedto its original condition. My improved machine for thus treating thepeat comprises a plurality of pairs of rubbing-rolls between which thepeat is passed, the rolls of each pair preferably being driven atdifferent speeds, so that the peat in passing between them is crushed,the cellular structure of the material is destroyed, and it is preparedfor further treatment by rubbing and kneading. The rolls of thesuccessive pairs are arranged progressively nearer together and drivenat progressively-increasing speeds, so that after the crude peat haspassed between the series of pairs of rolls it has been rubbed into thedesired condition and the air partially expelled from the cells thereof.Situated to receive the peat from the rolls isa kneading mechanism whichcompletes the kneading, working, or tempering of the peat and completesthe expulsion of the air therefrom. From the kneading mechanism thetempered peat, which is now in a plastic moldable condition, passes to amolding device, which shapes the peat into blocks of the required size.

The process of treating the peat and working it into proper shape ascarried out by my machine does not include subjecting the neat topressure in any way, as the entire working of the peat is done by arubbing and kneading process. After the blocks of peat have been sotreated and dried they have, as before stated, a mineral-like hardnessand appearance and break with a fracture not unlike coal or stone andcan never be dissolved in water again or reduced to a plastic mass.

In the drawings I have illustrated one form of machine embodying myinvention.

Figure 1 designates a vertical central section through my improvedmachine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation,part of the machine being broken away to show the interior construction.Fig. 4 is a section through the casing on the line as :0, Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a section on the line y y, Fig. l.

The machine comprises a casing 3 of any suitable construction, which ispreferably mounted on a suitable stand or support 4 and in which islocated the kneading mechanism hereinafter described. Situated above thecasing or in any other suitable position arranged to discharge thematerial thereinto is a box or receptacle 5, within which are aplurality of pairs of rubbing-rolls, three such pairs 6 6, 7 7, and 8 8being illustrated in this form of my invention. At one end of the box orreceptacle 5 is a suitable hopper 9, into which the crude peat is fed.The rolls of each pair are driven at different surface speeds, andpreferably the rolls of succeeding pairs are different distancesapart-for instance, the rolls 7 7 being nearer together than the rolls 66 and the rolls 8 8 being nearer together than the rolls 7 7. The rolls7 are driven faster than the rolls 6 and the rolls 8 still faster thanthe rolls 7, it'being understood that the rolls of each pair are drivenat different speeds. I prefer to drive the upper rolls of each pairfaster than the lower rolls of the corresponding pair. Any suitabledriving mechanism for the rolls may be employed. As herein shown, thebearings of the rolls of each pair project through the side of thereceptacle 5 and are journaled in suitable bearings on the outsidethereof, and the bottom rolls of the pairs are geared together, so thatone is driven from the other, and the top rolls are similarly gearedtogether. The lower roll 6 has on its end a gear 10, meshing with anidler 11, which in turn meshes with a gear 12 on the lower roll 7. Thisgear 12 meshes with an idler 13, which in turn meshes with a pinion 14on the end of a roll 8. The roll 8 has applied thereto a driving-pulley15, through which the lower rolls 6, 7, and 8 are driven through thegearing above described. The gearing is so constructed that said rollsare driven at different speeds, the rolls 8 being driven fastest and therolls 6 the slowest.

The upper roll 6 has fast thereon a gear 16, meshing with an idler 17and the latter meshes with a gear 18 on the upper roll 7, which in turnmeshes with an idler 19. This latter idler meshes with a gear 20 on theupper roll 8, and said latter roll is driven by a drivingpulley 21independently of the pulley 15. The gearing connecting these rolls andthe speed of rotation of the driving-pulleys 21 and 15 are such as togive the requisite relative speed to the rolls of each pair and to therolls of successive pairs.

I prefer to yieldingly support the boxes 22, in which the upper rolls ofeach pair are mounted, inany suitable way, so as to permit: the variousrolls to give sufliciently to allow any stones or other hard substancesin the peat to pass through without injury.

23 designates scrapers which are suitably arranged to clean the surfaceof the rolls 8.

Immediately beneath the rolls 8 is an aperture 24 in the box 5, throughwhich the peat is discharged into the casing 3, which contains thekneading mechanism. The form of kneading mechanism I prefer comprises aseries of blades 25, carried by a vertically-arranged shaft 26 androtating in proximity to aseries of perforated horizontal partitions 27,operating, in efiect, like so many spatulas.

The partitions extend only part way across the casing 3, and thesuccessive partitions are located on alternate sides of the casing. Theupper partition 27 is situated beneath the aperture 24 and receives thepeat discharged from the rolls 8, and the upper blade 25 in its rotationpasses over this partition 27 in close proximity thereto and by itsinclined position rubs the peat forward between it and said partition,part of the peat being forced down through apertures 28 onto the secondpartition below and the rest of the peat being carried around and forcedfrom this partition, which extends only half-way across the casing, as

shown in Fig. 4, onto the next lower partition. The blade 25 cooperatingwith this next lower partition similarly acts on the peat, part of thepeat being forced through the apertures in the partition and the restbeing delivered onto the second partition at the left, Fig. 1. Thisoperation is repeated, and the peat is thoroughly rubbed, kneaded, andworked into a homogeneous mass, the rubbing process resulting inexpelling substantially all the air from-the peat.

Any suitable mechanism for driving the shaft 26 may be employed. In thisform of my invention the upper end of the shaft,which projects throughthe top 29 of the casing 3, has fast thereon a bevel-gear 30, meshingwith a beveled gear 31 on the horizontal shaft 33, said shaft 33 alsohaving thereon another beveled gear 32, which meshes with a beveled gearon the driving-shaft 34. This latter shaftmay be driven in any suitableway, as by the driving-pulley35. -When the peat has been worked downthrough the casing 3 by the above-described kneading mcehanism,it passesthrough a discharge-aperture 47 in the bottom of the easing into achamber 38 and is forced out of said chamber onto a table 50 by anysuitable means, such as a plunger 37 This plunger operates beneath thefloor 39 ofthe casing and is actuated by a toggle-lever mechanism 40,which is connected by a link 43 with a crankwheel 44, driven fromtheshaft 34.

In the operation of my machine the crude peat is delivered to the hopper9 and is passed between the successive pairs of rubbing-rolls. The rollsof each pair give the peat a rubbing action, owing to the difference intheir speed of rotation, and as the peat passes from one pair of rollsto the other it is worked and rubbed more and more, with the result thatthe cellular structure is partially broken up and the air contained inthe cells partially expelled. From the rubbing-rollsthe partially workedand tempered peat is delivered to the kneading mechanism abovedescribed, and the kneading, working, or tempering process is completed,the air completely expelled from the cells, and the peat brought into aplastic homogeneous condition. It will be noted that this entireoperation is performed without subjecting the peat to any pressure. ThisI consider as an important feature of my invention, as it avoids thenecessity of expensive heavy machinery for subjecting the peat topressure.

Various changes in the constructional details of the parts may be madewithout departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a peatmachine, means to rub the crude peat, thereby to break upits cellular structure and partially expel the air therefrom, said meansincluding a plurality of pairs of rubhing-rolls, and means to drivepositively the rolls of each pair at a different speed, and a kneadingmechanism to receive the peat from the rolls and operating to completelyexpel the air therefrom and develop its plastic properties.

2. In a peat-machine, a plurality of pairs of rubbing-rolls each paircomprising an upper and a lower roll, the rolls of successive pairsbeing progressively nearer together, means for operatively connectingtogether the upper rolls of all the pairs, means for connecting togetherthe lower rolls of the pairs, and means for driving the upper rolls ofthe pairs independently of the lower rolls and at different speeds.

3. In a peat-machine, a plurality of pairs of rubbing-rolls,the rollsofsuccessivepairs being progressively nearer together, means to drivethe rolls of any pair at different speeds and the rolls of successivepairs at a progressivelyincreasing speed, and a kneading mechanism toreceive the peat from said rolls said kneading mechanism comprising aplurality of perforated shelves and rotating blades to rub the peat oversaid shelves.

4. In a peat-machine, means to rub the crude peat thereby to break upits cellular structure and partially expel the air therefrom, said meansincluding a plurality of pairs of rubhing-rolls, and means to drivepositively the rolls of each pair at a different speed, combined With akneading mechanism to receive the peat from the rolls and completelyexpel the air therefrom and develop its plastic properties, saidkneading mechanism comprising a plurality of perforated shelves orpartitions, and rotary blades operable in close proximity to saidpartitions and operating to rub the peat over said partitions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS H. LEAVI'IT.

Witnesses:

LOUIS 0. SMITH, VVARREN D. OWEN.

